Pages

March 05, 2014

Bucket Lists--What Should Be on Yours?

Do you have a "bucket list" of things you'd like to do before you croak?

There's a whole website designed to help you "track and achieve your life goals," and there may be some bucket list ideas there you could swipe.

I don't actually have one myself, but hmm... maybe I should?

Mostly I'm curious about what you guys have on yours.

This brief post was inspired by awesome and beloved Cranky Fitness commenter Tree Peters, who has a great list over at her blog about tackling 50 Things Before 50. Plus I frequently walk by the chalk board, pictured above. One that reinforces the notion that gosh, we're all different aren't we! (And by "different" I mean "sometimes really freakin' deranged.")

But I realize I like the notion of a specific age better than "before I kick the bucket." Not only is it a little less morbid, but it's a reminder that milestones keep piling up. If you don't consciously consider what you REALLY want to experience in life, and have a deadline in mind and some specifics plans... One day you're going to be sitting there in your wheelchair drinking your ensure and trying not to soil your Depends, full of bitter regrets.

However, if I wanted to steal the 30 before 30 or 50 before 50 notion, for me it would have to be 60 Things Before 60. And that's a crapload of things!

But maybe a shorter list would be helpful? I'm pondering.

I have limited experience with the Things Before You Turn a Number notion, but in my late forties I did decide I had one fitness goal I really wanted to achieve before I turned fifty.

Yes, my dream was to do unassisted Pull Ups. Or, well, "Pull-Up." I figured I'd be happy with one.

Why on earth, in a world full of mountains to climb and oceans to swim and other more adventurous feats did I pick the Unassisted Pull Up for my fitness yard-stick? Who the f-ck knows, but I chose it.

And shortly before I turned 50, I did it.

Which is a reminder that yes--specific goals and deadlines do sometimes get things accomplished! Even if they are pointless things.

(And yes, Crabby's playing with her camera phone again. The different settings are supposed to represent fantasy turning into reality. I should just figure out how to use instagram or photoshop like a normal person. Oh and btw, 3 years later I can now do... One Unassisted Pull-Up. Or Two Chin-Ups. Gosh, such an exciting inspiring fitness blogger I am!)

Anyway, I've gotten to visit a lot of great places and do a lot of fun things already in my life, which would have probably been on my bucket list earlier if I'd had one.

Travel Abroad doesn't suck.

But even as I have a huge mental catalog of foreign lands yet to explore, and accomplishments to strive for, and exhilarating experiences to seek out, nothing seems to leap out as an absolute short-list MUST-do before I go. Not to tempt fate, but I think I could die tomorrow without feeling too shortchanged. I've been fantastically lucky in my life.

However, it's always fun to have exciting shiny goals or adventures ahead, and it might be fun to get more specific about it... perhaps a follow up post after further thought?

So how about you all, do you have a list? Or got any ideas that inspire you or that I could steal might inspire others?

24 comments:

I keep thinking that I'm going to put together one of those lists but have never done it. Seems like a lot of time just to come up with all of the things to do and then to actually do them all?! I'm with you - maybe a smaller # like 10?!

Well as a concept I like the bucket list but then when I check out people's bucket lists I realize that I am spoiled and if I want to do something I just do it. The only thing holding me back are the limits of my body and my fears which I am working on. Hmm ... work harder!! The guy at the pharmacy gave me 2 free chocolate bars today so I guess I better dump them on the desk in accounting. They are like starving bears over there!

I don't know why the term Bucket List drives me nuts, but it does, so officially I Do Not Have One. Having said that, I have some things that I definitely want to do before I shuffle off this mortal coil. I don't feel the need to put any time lines on them, though.

So, what does OtF want to do before death outsmarts her?

- Go to New England and see the fall colors- See the Northern Lights- Go somewhere (Japan/Washington DC) during Cherry Blossom season (I see a lot of foliage goals!)- Ride a century race

Signed, Hungry Bear Accountant That Is Now Trying Not To Eat Cindy's Chocolate Bars

I'm back! I have one for the bucket list! If I ever have STUPID, stupid amounts of money I want to buy a Harley Davidson trike and I will have it all painted up Ed Hardy tattoo style with a matching "don't mess with me" outfit for me and cowboy boots in black!

i think about this a lot lately. mainly because of a weird feeling of not having as much time left as i would like to have. For me ist about priorities: what do i want more of until i die and what can be kicked out of my life because ist bullsh!t. this way of thinking works great for me and whenever i want to learn or do something i just do so if its possible. and i also could die very peacefully tomorrow. i had a fantastic life so far and wouldnt have wanted things to be different.

Congratulations on your unassisted pull-up. I'm impressed! I don't have a bucket list, but I've really considered starting one. It would include traveling to more places. I've had the opportunity to go on some amazing trips already but there are more adventures yet to come. Maybe one 5K a year where I actually run. No marathons for me.

And sorry to go AWOL, busy day today, but I like the way you guys are putting ideas into my head. And I'm hoping all you who have such cool stuff picked out are figuring out ways to get yourself there and that you will be doing these wonderful things even sooner than you think!

OK, here's a silly and kinda pathetic one: I'd like to keep growing the blog until enough people actually read it that occasionally, or even once, I'd settle for once, someone comes up to me out of the blue as I'm walking down the street or sitting at a restaurant and asks... "hey, don't mean to bother you, but just wondering...are you Crabby McSlacker?"

How weird am I? I'd take that over a gold medal at the olympics or climbing mount Everest. And certainly I'd take that over skydiving, which seems to be a big popular bucke tlist thing but I'd rather gargle horse pee than jump out of a friggin' plane.

I want to do something really athletic. A few years I walked a half-marathon with ease and had the notion that I might try running a marathon one of these days. Competing, rather completing, a triathlon is something I'd like to do as well.

And I want to skydive. The thought scares the total shit outta me, but that's kinda why I wanna do it.

Oh, those pull ups. That is one of my goals, but not quite bucket list level. And not moving along very steadily. And obviously not before 50, since I will reach 63 later this year.

I did really understand the concept, though. My brain tumor diagnosis really got me thinking. At the time, my list was better retirement planning; succession planning for my compan; and a long trip to Australia. All done now. It taught me what I could really not afford to let slide. I have tried hard ever since not to let anything go for long if I'd really kick myself if it didn't get done.

Ironing and sewing buttons and most other domestic stuff has not yet made the list.

Crabby, this is yet another terrific topic. What an amazing crop of goals has emerged!

It just so happens that I wrote out a Bucket List on my iPhone note pad, 3 days ago! Ok here it is so far: Visit Monument Valley, visit all 50 states, de-clutter my house (ha ha), write a song (I'm working on it now, but don't hold your breath!), & write a book! I have no clue what the book would be about nor why I wrote that one down.

I'm noticing that none of those are fitness related. Hum, I've been working on increasing my upper body strength. As measured by the number and type of pushups I can do.

the "Bucket List"concept is too over-reaching for me. Anything with that late an end date (hopefully) just gets put to the back of my mind. Of course, with only 7 months on my list, I had to put plenty of things that I knew were quickly attainable. I do have bigger ones that will take more time... Maybe a straight up goals list... I'm not sure what's possible with fitness anymore, but I know where to aim. I've got pull-up on my mental list... but also, I want to be able to do the thing where you hang from your knees and use your abs to lift up... it looks like it feels so good.thanks for the shout out!

I'm not a bucket list person, because there's just too much. Unlike DRG, I didn't have a brain tumor, but the symptoms were scarily like it, and during the days I spent in the hospital waiting for all the test results, I thought about all the things I wanted to do that I'd miss if I died at twenty. I realized then that just learning all the musical instruments I wanted would take at least one lifetime, and the languages would take another, if not two. Then there's the travel, and writing, and art, and so on. Forty years later I mostly just enjoy whatever is going on and pay no attention to goals.

I want to hike glaciers, ice skate far enough north some where that frozen rivers are skaters highways. I want to do hut to hut ( or maybe inn to inn at this point) hiking and/or cross country skiing. I want to teach dawn yoga to novices on beaches.